Letters to the Editor, Magazine New York Times 229 West 43rd Street New York, N.Y. 10036 To the Editor: The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) takes strong exception to George Packer's portrayal of Lynne Stewart (Sunday, September 22, 2002, New York Times Magazine.) Contrary to Packer''s assertion that Ms. Stewart has been abandoned by the legal Left, in fact she has garnered broad support among a wide range of legal practitioners. The NLG strongly affirms the right of Lynne Stewart and the obligation of lawyers to defend people in need of legal representation, particularly those whose politics, religion, or beliefs oppose government policies or differ from mainstream views. For sixty-five years, the National Lawyers Guild has done just that--provided vigorous legal defense for those most in need. In the wake of 9/11 we have united with a wide array of groups to affirm the need for legal defense and to oppose constitutionally problematic changes in the law, such as the attack on the attorney-client privilege, denial of right to counsel, increase in racial profiling, use of secret evidence in secret hearings, and surveillance of groups and individuals engaged in protected political activity. If anything, the legal Left and indeed legal practitioners across the spectrum have been unusually supportive of Ms. Stewart's case in these difficult times. Bruce D. Nestor President National Lawyers Guild